Yemen Travelogue – Days at Shibam and Seiyun

Video, 160 minutes, digiBeta, 16:9, colour, stereo

I am drunk of the cup of loveMevlana Jelalu–'d–Din, Muhammed, Er–Rumi (1207–1273)

In April 2006, my friend Nikolaus Scholz and I flew to Sana'a, the capital of the Republic of Yemen, and traveled to Shibam, the legendary mud-brick skyscraper city, the ancient „Manhattan of the Desert“. Following an invitation of a German development cooperation program, Nikolaus was producing a CD – Jewel of the Valley–, featuring music played by the Shibam District Music and Traditional Arts Ensemble, a group of about 20 musicians. As usual, I filmed whatever caught my eye. It's a very personal travel journal, and despite these enchanting sites, it lets you forget about where you are. A film for meditation. Even though I'm capturing the light, people, und things, it is my way of looking at them that makes itself clear and invites viewers to look at themselves and become aware of their point of view, the subjective nature of perception.

Thanks to Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj and The Yemeni–German Shibam Urban Development Project SUDP/GTZ, The Shibam District Music and Traditional Arts Ensemble, Mohamed Baswateen, Director of Cultur/District of Shibam, Nikolaus Scholz

First public screening First version Vienna, Austrian Filmmuseum, 22 November, 2008
Second version Graz, Diagonale, Festival of Austrian film, March 2009